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The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit cultural organization with tours, exhibitions, programs and events for all ages. Visit CAF on Michigan Avenue to view our 1,000-building scale model of Chicago, shop in our award-winning store, or participate in a fun LEGO® building event in our ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Choose from 85 tours by boat, walking, bus, or even L train, including the CAF River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises. Tours depart daily and are led by CAF's expert docent guides. Every October, check out CAF's free annual Open House Chicago festival. Proceeds from CAF’s tours and gift shop, as well as grants, sponsorships and donations, support this educational mission.

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Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco Skyscrapers

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$18.00*

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Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers

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$29.99*

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Chicago Walking Tour: Tiffany Treasures

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“Chicago Masterworks Tour”

Tom was a great guide, explained everything extremely well.
I can just recommend the CAF-tours. I would have taken at least another one if I had the time...

In just a couple of hours, you will be acquainted with Chicago buildings and history. The well informed docents of your tour will bring to life Chicago the city of broad shoulders. The tour is not just bricks and mortor, it is the real life blood of the city with the Great Fire, Political conventions and inventive designers creating such...
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The walking tour takes you into beautiful buildings and all around the downtown area. The docent was extremely knowledgeable and the headsets were amazing to enable us to hear over the L train and horns honking during the tour. An excellent tour and I would recommend the boat tour as well

An in-depth tour downtown, viewing the exterior of about 10 skyscrapers and walking into or through the reception area of some of them. Our guide, Alpaa, is also an architect and provided very informative perspective on some design and construction elements. This is our 3rd or 4th tour with the Architecture Foundation and the tours are uniformly excellent.

We have taken many tours on foot and by bus in various places, but our guide, Ted, had an excellent knowledge of the buildings we visited. Chicago has a lot to work with as far as historical buildings go and we can't wait to try another tour. Our tour was the two hour historical skyscrapers tour. I am also going...
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I live part time in Chicago and maintain a membership in the Chicago Architecture Fnd (CAF). I regularly take one of their many interesting walking tours and have done their boat ride 8 times! Their boat trip is much nicer than the commercial ones and there is a docent on board. The docents for the walking tours are also very...
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Great visit, knowledgeable guide, cool history. Who would have known that Chicago got its first library books after the fire, or how retail moved upscale, and a man called Potter brought romance to the prairies in an Empire style hotel.

This organization (CAF) is tremendous, with its focus on architecture education and plethora of fabulous tours led by many well-studied docents. We like to support this nonprofit, but we benefit greatly by having access to so many amazing neighborhood tours. Start with the architectural tour by riverboat, then take walking tours, bus tours, etc. And don't miss CAF's yearly Open...
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Staying in Downtown / The Loop

Neighborhood Profile

Downtown / The Loop

Often visitors' first stop in Chicago, The Loop is a good starting point to sample the city's energy and flavor. This central business district boasts Michelin-rated restaurants, upscale hotels, premier shopping, and enough arresting architecture to keep your camera busy for hours. You won’t find too many photo galleries of downtown Chicago without a shot of Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. A stunning skyline coupled with cultural attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago present a Downtown where work and play peacefully coexist.

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